Telstra? Are we being scammed?

I just interwinkled with Telstra over prepaid wireless broadband credit issues, after I sent an email to them a few days ago. This is the latest interwink:

1st, here's a copy of an email I already sent, and have a reply from Telstra, Customer Entry on 27/03/2010 03:50 PM

Hi,
I use Telstra BigPond wireless broadband, prepaid via BPay online.
What is the minimum $ amount I must recharge to retain my $62 credit from last month?
Also, is the download GB amount effected if I only have to recharge, say, $20?
And, is there a Telstra SMS contact number I can dial (via computer online) instead of
having to call 1258888 when I have an inquiry?

Here's the reply:

Response (Aljean Vincent) 29/03/2010 01.46 PM
Dear Max,

Thank you for your email enquiry regarding your prepaid service.

The minimum amount that you can recharge is $20 but please be informed your data rates and allowance are determined by your most recent recharge amount. So the higher the recharge the more you get.You can call 125 8880 Telstra Service if you have any question regarding your service.

If you need any more information about your account, please call 125 8880, or please visit http://www.telstra.com.au/mobile/prepaid/myprepaid.html

Regards,

Aljean
D352679
Telstra Support Team

These sent and replied emails came back today, but seemed to not fully explain. So I sent the link Aljean gave me, this:

I ask again about the amount of GB data rates (is that the same as "downloads"?).

I take it Aljean is saying that the previous unused $ amount is kept, if I recharge min $20, (in this case, about $60) but that the data rate is not kept into the next month? So what is the $60 paying for, or, what is it prepaid credit for?
And, what is the "allowance" here, referred to by Aljean?
It DOES seem that Telstra is quite immorally "creaming" whatever unused credit remains passed the end of the month, if that credit is not for data rates, or, downloads?
Therefore, if so, we are being forced to consume data rates, or downloads, if we do not want to loose our previous month's credit, or if we do not want Telstra to steal that credit?

Please explain?

I sent that to Telstra's help webpage email at:
https://bigpond.custhelp.com/cgi-bin/bigpond.cfg/php/enduser/ask.php?p_type=billing

Before the email gets to the submit stage, they offer a few links which might answer the questions. One is a glossary of terms.

So I clicked on the glossary link and searched for "allowance" -

NOPE! No word is glosseried!

"Data rate"? NOPE!

"Download"? Ah! Yes, It tells me
"You "download" when you retrieve data from another networked computer. It could be text, pictures, a website, a sound file - anything."

Right! So "download refers to "data rate" I guess?

I'll eagerly await the next reply-installment!?!?!

One humorous thing I spied in the "Telstra Help Centre 'Answer library'" just referred to, was, in the glossary for "A", they have the word "Avator" explained.

But they mean AvatAr!

Argh!

Capitalism REALLY smells, methinks!

ANOTHER BLAST at corporate theft by
Omaxa bin News-Chop.OM
from the traveling 4x4 tent of
OpenSourcGovernmentPolicy.OM